


The Defense of Whiterun

by Dunkthebard



Series: Nahlnehviir -  "Living and Never Dying" [5]
Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Family Bonding, Family Feels, Gen, PTSD, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:47:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23028787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dunkthebard/pseuds/Dunkthebard
Summary: Lydia is staying at her family home in Whiterun for a few days in a break from her duties as Huscarl to the Dragonborn. She gets to reminisce about her time living in the city and reflect on her recent battles. Her younger sister, Finki, fills her in on the latest Whiterun happenings.Her uncle, Talsim, a veteran of The Great War and the Battle of the Red Ring, speaks with her over morning coffee. They bond over their shared traumatic experiences in death and war.
Series: Nahlnehviir -  "Living and Never Dying" [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1569034
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	The Defense of Whiterun

Lydia sipped the morning mug of coffee her uncle Talsim prepared for her. He had picked up a taste for it during his time as a Legionnaire in Hammerfell and he gladly shared it with his niece. The warm and bitter taste warmed her from the chill outside and held her just close enough. It was amazing. Her mother and father were out at the market and her sister was out working her shift at The Drunken Huntsman. After Talsim made the morning brew, or “drink of the dawn” as he liked to jokingly call it, he had gone upstairs to read. For a few long moments she had her childhood home to herself. Talsim always knew when to give her space. 

This was the first time she had stayed in her family home in several seasons. Her little sister Finki filled her in on all the gossip and stories of Whiterun she had missed. Finki was still desperately in love with Jon Battle-Born, Lydia could see right through her sister's attempts to hide it. Despite his “secret” relationship with Olfina Gray-Mane that every young person in the town knew about, Finki was enamored. Lydia guessed something about his skill with song and sword was irresistible. Also Uthgerd the Unbroken had nearly torn Mikael’s spine out when he had drunkenly asked for her to join him in bed. Lydia was glad someone stepped up to knock Mikael down a peg in her absence. 

The Gray-Manes mourned a son lost in the Civil War. The war was really all anyone could talk about. Ever since the first attempt the Stormcloaks made on the city, everyone was on edge. By the grace of the Gods there wasn’t serious damage and none of the townsfolk were killed. The only notable change was that the raving priest of Talos, Hemiskr, had lost his house to a boulder launched from a Stormcloak catapult. Some people in town had taken it as a sign from the Divines that Talos really was wrong to worship. Most people just celebrated that it had caused a break in Hemiskr’s loud preaches in the town square. 

It still stung deeply that Lydia hadn’t been there to defend her family, friends, and home. While the walls of Whiterun had been assailed by fire and violent men, she laid in the Temple of the Divines in Solitude. Dragonfire had burned her skin and left her near death. Sharp teeth and claws and broken her bones. The Dragonborn, Archmage Castor Sovidir, had dug her out of the snow, stabilized her, and dragged her back to the temple. 

A few days later, when Lydia was cogent but could still barely move, a large detachment of Imperial Legionaries set out from the city to defend Whiterun. Lydia desperately tried to muster her body but still couldn’t even put weight on her feet. Castor went in her stead to defend her home, without her even having to ask. He just got up and said “you’ve saved my life countless times. I owe it to you.”

And so the Dragonborn, who had so far staunchly refused to take any side in the war, shouted the Stormcloaks to pieces before they could even breach Whiterun’s walls. It was so loud the Greybeards had heard every word he used from all the way up on High Hrothgar. The Imperial troops and the Whiterun guard barely had to draw their swords. It was the first time Castor had ever used his Thu’um as a weapon against another person. 

She took another long sip of her coffee. 

“Have you broken yet?” Talsim shot a question through the warm morning glow. He softly sat next to her by the hearth. 

Lydia was utterly confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Have you ever felt like your mind, body, and soul can’t possibly take any more?” He struggled with his words. “Like you have become undone and had to put the pieces back together?” 

“Is something wrong?” She asked, still unsure of her uncle’s meaning. 

“No my dear, nothing is wrong. I just have to ask you now that you have gone through war and lived.”

“You mean did I ever run in fear?” 

“No! I mean did you ever lie awake at night after the battle, after you watched someone get cut down?” 

“Sometimes, but I have never felt broken. I fight for a right cause. I fight to defend you, mother and father, to defend Finki. I fight because I must.” The Huscarl inside her said. 

“Yes. You fight for the most righteous cause of all. You fight to save all of Skyrim and I'm proud beyond measure everyday knowing that my niece bravely protects us.” He put her arm around her and hugged her. Lydia welcomed it

Talsim pulled back after some time and looked around their home. “Me and your father barely held this house together the night you were born.”

“I know this tale.” She had already thought long about that terrible storm and her horrible nightmare that whispered it would return. 

“For a moment I was broken because I knew my strength was gone.” Talsim said, faint tears in his eyes. “I still remember it vividly even though it 25 years ago.” 

“But you and father held! The storm lifted!” She said, distressed by the tears of the man who had helped raise her. 

“But for a moment my strength failed and I was certain all in our home would die. All my time surviving the horrors of war were for naught if I couldn’t protect my family. My arm went numb and the door creaked open. A wall of water and splinters cut through my face and I had to pull away. In a flash of lightning I was back in the Imperial city, drenched in death. I knew that I would be powerless against the storm and let everyone I love blow away in the wind. With a face full of blood I looked your mother in the eyes and she knew I was done.” 

“But we didn’t die, uncle. We were okay.” Lydia hugged him again. 

“Just know my love for you is infinite, Lydia. Just know when you come to the brink that I understand. Promise me you know you are not alone.” 

“I promise.” she whispered softly as not to break the air. “I love you so much uncle.” 


End file.
